Kuru.

Abstract

Kuru is a progressive, invariably fatal cerebellar degeneration which occurs in a limited area of the New Guinea Highlands. The word kuru is derived from a term in the Fore language meaning to shake from fear, and it stems from the trembling which is a conspicuous symptom. Few neurologic diseases have attracted the attention of specialists in so many disciplines. No rare disease can have aroused more interest among the laity. Apart from an extensive scientific and anthropological literature, kuru has been the source of inspiration to journalists and travel writers, and it even occupies a prominent position in the plot of a popular novel. The facts concerning kuru are no less remarkable than the mythology that has grown up around it.